2025 - Start of Year Information Newsletter

Ryan Catholic College Mission Statement

Acknowledgement Of Country

Prayer

Gracious God, we come to you at the beginning of this academic year with many feelings, expectations, fears, and hopes. Help us to remember to ask you to “Stay with us, Lord.”

Loving God, for all of us, this is a time of transition. It is the transition from the work and leisure of summer, back to the classroom. It is the transition from time spent with family and friends. Give us patience with ourselves as we transition and patience with one another.

Faithful God, this beginning is new for some among us. Turn any sadness or anxiety to an openness to new friends and opportunities. Give us all a new perspective to see persons, events, and school work as an invitation to develop the many gifts you have given us to be used in service for others.

AMEN

From the Principal

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

Welcome to a new school year full of promise and potential. I am looking forward to celebrating the successes of 2024 and building on them in 2025.

I extend a special welcome to our new families at the College and the 266 new students who will become a special part of our Ryan community.

This newsletter provides some detail regarding staffing, beginning-of-year procedures, and processes and, hopefully, will be a good reference point for you to refer to over the coming days as we all prepare to begin the 2025 academic year together.

Celebrations

Our Year 12 2024 graduates have been busy at work, preparing for University or other further education.

I am delighted to applaud our graduates, Dux - Rayaan, and Proxime Accessit - Matilda. Our results were excellent. This infographic details a snapshot for you.

This is just a portion of the success of our graduates, and we will showcase more on our Facebook page in coming weeks. We are so delighted and proud of them all.

STAFFING 2025

2025 Leadership Team

We have a few changes to the leadership team, and they have hit the deck running, preparing for the commencement of the academic year. 

Nanette Radeck, staff member at Ryan over the past 8 years, has successfully been appointed to the Acting Deputy Principal: Pedagogy and Learning (Years 7-12) role. Nanette has previously held the Curriculum Leader: Humanities and Business position and has taught many Humanities and English classes over her years. 

Jacqueline McNalty has been appointed Acting Deputy Principal - Primary P-6. Jacqueline is an experienced educational leader and has led schools overseas and within Australia. Jacqueline joins the team with much experience, positivity and skill. 

Brendan Wendt, a well known Senior Campus Middle Leader of Sport, and teacher at Ryan for 19 years, has been appointed Assistant Principal Organisation and Community (Years 7-12). Brendan is an organised professional who sees the detail across many areas and can synthesise them into manageable parts. His strong interpersonal relationships with varied stakeholders is an asset to our team.

Grace Meldrum, who was acting in the Assistant Principal - Knowledge Activation (Years 7-12) in Term 4 , 2024, has been appointed into the substantive role. Grace’s attention to detail in seeing data as a way to improve student and staff confidence in their work, as well as being exceptional in all matters Senior syllabus and QCAA, provides excellent depth to the team.

2025 College Leadership Team

There have been some staffing changes to Middle Leadership positions for 2025. These are noted in bold.

Inclusive Practices Teachers

 Writing Champions

Welcome new staff and staff returning from leave.

New Teaching Staff: 

New Support Staff/School Officers:

Returning Staff:

Guidance Counsellor change

Simone Cook, Guidance Counsellor on the Senior Campus is taking 12 months leave. Grace Tirendi will return after her maternity leave last year, and will share the role with Michael Dixon who is known to us as a Guidance Counsellor on the Junior Campus last year.

Guidance Counsellors

Primary Campus Redevelopment update

We have secured the land and have commenced the council application process. We can now turn our attention to the learning spaces that will serve our children for many years to come! Exciting times ahead.

I look forward to seeing you and your children next week, as we begin another academic year at Ryan.

Starting Dates & Information

Prep to Year 4

Tuesday 28 January 8:30am - 2:50pm

Years 5 to 6

Tuesday 28 January 8:40am - 3:00pm - All students to go to classroom.

RYAN CATHOLIC COLLEGE (PRIMARY) UNIFORM DAYS

Year 7

Tuesday 28 January 8:40am - 3:10pm.  All students to meet in Emmaus Hall by 8:40am.

Years 8, 9, 10, 11, 12

Wednesday 29 January 8:40am - 3:10pm.
*newly enrolled students have orientation morning on Tuesday 28 January 9am - 10:30am at The Hub.  No uniform is required.

RYAN CATHOLIC COLLEGE (SECONDARY) UNIFORM DAYS

Please find below link to our Parent Handbook which is a useful guide designed to provide some basic, practical information to assist students and parents to make a relaxed and comfortable entry into the Ryan Catholic College community.

Primary News

Dear Parents and Caregivers, 

A warm welcome to the 2025 school year. A very special welcome to all our new students and families who are returning this year. Ryan Catholic College is a very special place and I am blessed to join as Deputy Principal (Primary) this year. My sincere thanks to Paula for her years of service to our College and we wish her well in her retirement. I would like to express my appreciation to Candi and Paula who have been instrumental in my comprehensive handover and my thanks to our Assistant Principals for their excellent leadership and support.

Our primary staff have been working with dedication to prepare classrooms and resources and are excited to welcome our students for Week 1. The team has also been engaging in some stimulating professional development and compliance activities before school resumes.

We highly value home school partnerships and we recognise that parents are a child’s first teacher. We look forward to working in close partnership with you as we grow and journey together in faith, service, compassion and learning. Please read below some tips to support a successful start at school.

SMOOTH TRANSITION

To help with a smooth transition to school, please consider the following ideas.

• Be positive about starting/returning to school. Focus on the positives because your perspective can help children manage the experiences ahead.  
• Acknowledge their feelings while continuing to encourage them. Talk about what’s exciting, what they feel uncertain or unsure about, etc.
• Establish routines in advance, especially an early bedtime. Children thrive on healthy routines and function better when well rested.
• Boost their independence by creating a visual timetable with pictures of their morning routine e.g. eat breakfast, brush teeth, get dressed, etc.

UNIFORMS

Please be mindful of our uniform requirements by reading the information in this newsletter under ‘Personal Appearance and Uniforms Prep-Year 12’.

COFFEE, TEA AND TISSUES

Coffee, tea and tissues will be available for parents on Tuesday 28th January at the Junior Campus Library.  Stay for a chat and a cuppa, once you’ve dropped off your child/ren to the classroom and school starts.  It’s a great way to meet new parents and connect as a community.

TUCKSHOP / SNACK SHACK

The Junior Campus Tuckshop will continue to operate on Thursdays and Fridays, starting in Week 1 for Years 1-4  students.  Prep students will be able to order from the Tuckshop as of Term 2.  Please be mindful that both the Tuckshop/Snack Shack are cashless venues and orders can only be placed via the Flexischools website.  Registration information regarding Flexischools is available on our website.  

CAR PARK

We are so fortunate to have ample car parking available for drop offs and picks ups.  The car parks are extremely busy areas.  Please observe the 3 C’s - courtesy, consideration and caution when parking and driving in the car park.  Also be mindful of heavy traffic and wet weather and allow additional time for drop offs and pick ups. Please don't park on the access road at any time throughout the year, including drop off for AFL or sport. This creates considerable danger and blindspots for oncoming vehicles to see children crossing the road. There will be an increased focus on this in Term 1, so please support us, with respect, to keep all children safe.

The staff and I feel very privileged to be a part of the Ryan Catholic College family.  We thank you in advance for your support and look forward to seeing you soon.  I hope the transition to school is smooth for you and your family.  As always, please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or concerns.

Jacqueline McNalty
ACTING DEPUTY PRINCIPAL - Primary (P-6)

Secondary News

Welcome to 2025!

I hope you have had the opportunity to spend quality time with family and friends and enjoy a well-earned break over the Christmas period.

I am looking forward to working with our returning and new students, and their families throughout the year. The relationships we establish between home and school are vital in order for our sons and daughters to thrive.

These relationships are built on respect, care and clear communication between home and school. Please make sure you touch base with College staff if you are unsure about anything. We are here to help.

To avoid information overload in the first newsletter of the year I will start with two focuses: 

Students’ attendance and having our students get to school to start the day on time.

Research strongly shows that school attendance is the primary factor in success at school.  Non-attendance significantly impacts on your child’s development. This includes starting the day with their pastoral care class at 8.40am. Students should arrive at school before 8:40am to ensure they get to class on time. This first session is designed as a safe space and a place to get organised for the busyness of the day. 

Any attendance record, without a significant illness or childhood disease (e.g. chickenpox) supported by appropriate documentation (e.g. medical certificate), reaching 10 days per year is a poor attendance record. This is approximately 95% attendance for the year. 

Please note that students are required at school for the entire day. This means finishing at 3:00pm for Years 5&6 and 3:10pm for Years 7-12. Leaving the College grounds without a reasonable excuse, e.g. medical appointment, is not something the College supports. 

Students may not leave early for part-time work. This is in breach of the Education Act. The Act makes it an offence for an employer to require or permit a school-aged child to perform work when they are required to attend school. A parent commits an offence under the Education (General Provisions) Act 2006 if they allow their child to work when they should be at school.

Students who are at school and engaged know what is going and are far more likely to succeed.

If you need to discuss issues causing a problem in relation to getting to school on time or attendance, please contact your Pastoral Care Teacher, Pastoral Leader or me.

Students’ appearance and uniform

From our Uniform and Personal Appearance Policy: “The uniform identifies students as members of the College and through the equality of consistent personal appearance allows them to be recognised for their actions and character rather than what they are wearing. Students are encouraged to develop important life skills through consideration of issues related to personal appearance including personal hygiene, health and safety issues. All students have a responsibility to be positive role models within the College and in representing the College in the wider community.  

Parents and students will be aware of and support the College’s uniform and personal appearance expectations in any setting or location”.  

Please ask the College staff any questions you have in relation to this to ensure your son or daughter are clear on our expectations. It is better to ask questions before doing something to minimise stress.

Thanks for your continued support.

Daryl Bathe
DEPUTY PRINCIPAL - Pastoral

Appearance & Uniform Guidelines (P-12)

As it is the start of the school year it is timely to remind all families of our personal appearance and uniform regulations. 

Please ensure your child’s appearance and uniform comply with our rules and expectations by day 1 of the school year. In case you require clarity around our expectations please refer to the below link. This page has the link to our personal appearance and uniform regulations and the Uniform Shop prices and hours.

Common examples of issues that arise are:

• Extreme/inappropriate hair styles/colour.
• Extra piercings including in the nose or tongue.
• Fake eyelashes or eyelash extensions.
• Fake nails or nail polish.
• House shorts too tight and rolled up to create a ‘gym wear’ type appearance.
• Formal skirts are too short. The acceptable length is lower thigh to knee length.
• Non-regulation school shoes.

Please note the process we follow for students with infringements that cannot be immediately rectified.

1. Parents/carers can collect him/her/them to rectify the issue and then they may return to school.
2. Alternatively, he/she/they will be placed on an internal suspension for that day and will be allowed to return to school when the issue has been rectified.

The appropriate Pastoral Leader or the Deputy Principal will make contact if and when required.

Mobile Phones

Ryan Catholic College accepts that parents/carers may choose to allow their child to own and carry connected devices.

AWAY FOR THE DAY 

• The College accepts no responsibility for connected devices brought to the College.
• Students are not to have access to their mobile phone before school and during school hours.
• Students are to keep their mobile phone in their personal locker (Years 7-12) or give it to the classroom teacher (Years P-6) for the teacher to secure.
• Phones are not to be in pockets.  If a phone is seen, it will be confiscated and taken to the office.  On the first offence, the student can collect the phone at the end of the day. For a second offence, the phone will be confiscated and a parent/carer will be asked to collect from the office. At each stage, parents/carers will be informed. Students may be forbidden to bring their phone to the College if there is a third offence.
• Phones or other connected devices are not to be used to pay for food and drink at the Snack Shack.
• During school hours parents/carers are required to make contact with their child via the College office.  This will ensure your child is reached quickly and assisted in the appropriate way.

BYOD - Years 7 -12

Years 7-12 students are required to "Bring Your Own Device". Device specifications can be found by clicking on the link below.

Year 7 students will need to bring their device to school on Tuesday 28 January to complete their BYOD induction.

Year 8 students will need to bring their device to school on Wednesday 29 January and complete their BYOD induction.

Uniform Shop Hours

Uniform Update for 2025

Please note that in 2025 we've opted to move to an ink navy colour for our secondary school skirts and culottes. This means that there will be slight difference in colour compared to previous versions. We anticipate there will be a rollover period of about 12-18 months as we finalise distribution of the current stock of the original colour that we have. This decision was made to align the secondary skirts with the colour of the rest of the College bottoms.

If you’ve got any questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to reach out to the uniform shop at uniforms@ryan.catholic.edu.au.

Tuckshop Information

Junior Campus

The College tuckshop on the Junior Campus operates 2 days per week, Thursday and Friday from 8am to noon.

Tuckshop orders can be easily made online, prior to 8.40am, via the Flexischools website. This cashless system can be utilised to order meals for the 11am lunch breaks.

No cash is handled at the Junior Campus tuckshop.

Volunteers - we are extremely grateful to the parents and carers who offer to give of their time to assist with College activities.  For all offers of help or for inquiries about volunteer work at the Junior Campus tuckshop on Thursdays and Fridays, please contact the Tuckshop Convenor by emailing tuckshop@ryan.catholic.edu.au.  Volunteers will need a current blue card, volunteer induction online training and may need additional training prior to coming to the Tuckshop.

Senior Campus

The Snack Shack is Ryan Catholic College’s Tuckshop that operates 5 days per week on the Senior Campus from 8.10am to 2pm during school terms.

Tuckshop orders can be easily made online, prior to 8.45am, via the Flexischools website. This cashless system can be utilised to order meals for the 11am and 1.40pm breaks. For more information about the Flexischools system please visit their website.

Alternatively students in Years 5 & 6 only can order meals for the 11am break using the paper bag ordering system. Correct money is requested if ordering through the classroom paper bag system to ensure that change is not lost in transit.

Middle and Senior School students can self-serve and make over-the-counter purchases during school breaks at 11am and 1.40pm.  Students can either pay by cash or EFTPOS or by using the Flexischools cashless card payment system. (At Ryan Catholic College, each student ID card displays a four digit "Barcode" number that can be used to link to the Flexischools system.)

Flexischools Information

Flexischools allows you to order in advance at a time convenient to you.  No cash is required.

Please go to the Flexischools website online to view a demonstration and to setup your account.

For details on how to link a student ID to your Flexischools account and to set daily spending limits, please refer to their FAQs online.

Flexischools accepts payment via Visa, Mastercard and Bank Transfer. To perform a bank transfer to your Flexischools account, click 'Top up Account' when logged into the Flexischools website and select 'Bank Transfer' you will be given your unique EFT code (Flexischools administration fees apply). You can then make a transfer via your bank's internet facility or at your branch.

School ID Photos

Student ID photographs will be taken in Week 2 (Monday 3 February) and ID cards will be issued in due course.

All students must wear Formal Uniform and meet the College Uniform Policy. Any student who does not meet the guidelines will be refused a photograph on these days and will need to present themselves with the correct appearance on the catch-up photography day scheduled at a later date.

Parent Engagement & Open Classrooms

This year, instead of parent information nights, we will be engaging in giving you similar information, but in a more integrated way with your children; in the form of open classrooms or other parent only events such as the Year 5 Parent Wine and Cheese night. 

See below for details. 

Prep - Year 4
Tuesday 11 February 2.15pm - 2.50pm,  JUNIOR CAMPUS

Years 5
Monday 3 February 5.00pm - 6.30pm, Parent Evening - Wine & Cheese  THE HUB - SENIOR CAMPUS

Year 6

Tuesday 11 February 2.15pm - 3.00pm, SENIOR CAMPUS

Year 7

Tuesday 11 February 3.30pm - 4.15pm, SENIOR CAMPUS

Compass

The Compass portal allows parents to:

• view your child's schedule
• email teachers
• report absences - see instructions below
• access report cards
• book Parent-Student-Teacher conferences 

For parents who are existing Compass users, but new to Ryan, you will need to "add" Ryan as a school.  If you are having difficulties accessing your Compass portal, please email office@ryan.catholic.edu.au.

School Fees Information

Cultural Corner

Bus Transport Options To and From Ryan

There are two (2) options available to Ryan families wanting to secure transport to and from Ryan Catholic College for their students.  The first is the Public School Bus Service (fees may apply), and the second is the private Ryan School Bus (additional fees apply).

OPTION 1 - KINETIC/SUNBUS PUBLIC SCHOOL BUS

There is a Public School Bus Service (Kinetic/Sunbus) that drops off and picks up from the Ryan Senior Campus daily.  Prep to Year 4 Students who utilise this service will be transported via a Ryan Shuttle Bus from the Senior Campus to the Junior Campus and back daily to connect with this service (no additional cost).

Students may be eligible for a QLD government funded bus pass under the School Transport Assistance Scheme (STAS). To check your eligibility and apply for this funding please follow the link below. If eligible, students will be issued a tap and go "smartcard" to use daily.

Students who are not eligible for fee assistance through STAS, will  require a Smartcard that they can tap in order to pay their fare on the ticketing system. To apply for the card, please email: tsvschoolsadmin@wearekinetic.com and request the smart card application form. Students must use the Smartcard to tap on and off while travelling on this service. 

If your student has lost or damaged their card, please email: tsvschoolsadmin@wearekinetic.com to obtain a new one. Please note a replacement fee applies.

*Please note that Ryan does not keep records of students travelling on this public service and cannot provide information on the times, costs, stops, cancellations, lost and found or the conduct of students from other schools travelling on this service. Please direct all enquiries to Kinetic on 13 12 20

OPTION 2 - RYAN CATHOLIC COLLEGE SCHOOL BUSES

Ryan Catholic College operates a bus service that travels through many local suburbs offering parents a safe and convenient transport option for their children for as little as $4.50 per day. Use of the Ryan school bus for transport to and from the school is billed through school fees and is charged to reserve a seat for the full semester only (no pro-rata rates are available regardless of days of use). PLEASE NOTE: This is not intended to be a door to-door-service and where there are outstanding school fees a seat may not be offered.

$450 per student per semester (approx. $4.50 p/day); or
$900 capped per family per semester (approx. $9.00 p/day for 2 or more students); and
$17 Replacement Smartcards

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